Publication

Non-volatile switchable photonic component with phase change material

2026

Abstract

The invention relates to a photonic component for setting non-volatile operational states, comprising:- at least one light-guiding structure (3) formed in a silicon layer of a silicon-on-insulator substrate (2);- at least one switching element (4) formed by an optical phase change material (8) and a heating structure (7) underneath thereof, wherein the at least one switching element (4) is laterally neighbored to the at least one light-guiding structure (3) so as to provide an evanescent coupling between the at least one light-guiding structure (3) and at least one switching element (4);wherein the heating structure (7) of the switching element (4) is formed by a thinned portion of the silicon layer (22) of the silicon-on-insulator-substrate (2) with the lowest silicon thickness to provide a current path through the silicon layer (22), particularly along the direction of arrangement of the at least one light-guiding structure (3) and the at least one switching element (4), so that the current density of the current path is highest in the heating structure (7) of the at least one switching element (4).

Official source

https://infoscience.epfl.ch/entities/publication/5fd8a4f7-c351-4584-8d9b-7c11c87053eb

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2026

Abstract

Official source

https://infoscience.epfl.ch/entities/publication/5fd8a4f7-c351-4584-8d9b-7c11c87053eb

About this result

Related concepts (32)

Silicon photonics

Silicon photonics is the study and application of photonic systems which use silicon as an optical medium. The silicon is usually patterned with sub-micrometre precision, into microphotonic components. These operate in the infrared, most commonly at the 1.55 micrometre wavelength used by most fiber optic telecommunication systems. The silicon typically lies on top of a layer of silica in what (by analogy with a similar construction in microelectronics) is known as silicon on insulator (SOI).

Photonic integrated circuit

A photonic integrated circuit (PIC) or integrated optical circuit is a microchip containing two or more photonic components which form a functioning circuit. This technology detects, generates, transports, and processes light. Photonic integrated circuits utilize photons (or particles of light) as opposed to electrons that are utilized by electronic integrated circuits. The major difference between the two is that a photonic integrated circuit provides functions for information signals imposed on optical wavelengths typically in the visible spectrum or near infrared (850–1650 nm).

Silicon on sapphire

Silicon on sapphire (SOS) is a hetero-epitaxial process for metal–oxide–semiconductor (MOS) integrated circuit (IC) manufacturing that consists of a thin layer (typically thinner than 0.6 μm) of silicon grown on a sapphire (Al2O3) wafer. SOS is part of the silicon-on-insulator (SOI) family of CMOS (complementary MOS) technologies. Typically, high-purity artificially grown sapphire crystals are used. The silicon is usually deposited by the decomposition of silane gas (SiH4) on heated sapphire substrates.

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Non-volatile switchable photonic component with phase change material

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